Tipping the Velvet

It is surprising that a production like this gets made these days, especially for television. Considering the strong sexual themes and explicit lovemaking scenes, not to mention lesbianism, this has been given superb treatment and direction.

The sets and costumes are flawless, the direction is stylish and the characters are likeable. There is a fair amount of humor but it has surprisingly dark interludes. The protagonist is really a tragic figure, but not devoid of happiness. Also, this production avoids the mistake most films/shows make when dealing with homosexuality/lesbianism. The characters are very human. It seems that to allow people to be comfortable with watching gays and lesbians on TV and movies most shows fill it full of cliches and make the characters obsessed with being gay. Not so with this. In Tipping the Velvet, the protagonist is hardly aware of what being lesbian means!

The BBC have made some wonderful productions in the past, and this adventurous period piece only confirms their standard of excellence on all fronts.

I never knew this DVD existed, had I not been checking out lesbian films in Amazon.com. On description alone, I purchased it. That was 3 weeks ago. I have watched the DVD almost every night. My 17 yr. old. step-daughter, every time she catches me says, "Not again?" I say, automatically, "Sorry, kid, yes, again." It's not just the theme, it's everything. The time and place, the screen writing, the music, the acting, the tone, the lighting, the challenge of pushing the envelope. (I doubt very much we would see a production such as this here in the United States.) For me, this is absolutely the best lesbian presentation I have seen. It is so satisfying on every level. I, too, had my heart broken by my first love...and eventually found my life partner, so I related very much to the story to some degree. I applaud and thank everyone involved in this presentation. And of course, accolades to the author.

Labeling this film a "lesbian love story" is about as accurate as calling Pride & Prejudice a "straight love story." There's just so much more to it than that.

Yes, the main character is a lesbian, but her story is classic bildungsroman, a journey from childhood to adulthood, from sexual innocence into maturity, from personal blindness to self- discovery. There is a stylistic element of camp to the film's direction, but it is not a hindrance; rather it serves to underscore the staged and dramatic parts of the main character's life.

Those who know Anna Chancellor from the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice will certainly be amazed with her here. Rachael Stirling is stellar as the main character Nan, and Keeley Hawes is all wide-eyed goodness as her lover Kitty Butler. Chancellor might have the stand out role, that is aside from Sally Hawkins who plays Zena Butler. This film is not for the faint of heart, but it's not a piece of pro-gay advertising either. It's a real story, with real comedy and drama, an engaging story with compelling characters, and well worth watching.

The book is a must read, just as much this adaptation of it being a must see. The mini-series is remarkably true to the book, even with some changes and trimmings like Florence being not as forthright as in the book and the Kitty's crisis after she's heckled during a performance being (somewhat unwisely) skipped, but they don't hinder things at all. Tipping the Velvet(2002) stands fabulously on its own and has so much to recommend, you don't even need to read the book to love this mini-series. The production values are both beautiful and vivid, the costumes, hair and make-up positively take you back to the 1980s, the parlours are opulent, the seaside nostalgic and it is in the music hall moments where the mini-series is most vivid. The photography is just as lush with occasional moments of overblown editing. The music has a haunting undercurrent as well as understated beauty and swelling richness, anyone familiar with music hall music will be delighted at the selection chosen. The script is compact and concise, all the essentials are there and even with the trimmings have their full impact. You are really taken to the Victorian London world, with the contradictions(some quirky, some not), views and beliefs and social class differences. The sex scenes are explicit but also splendidly sensual, and the mini-series shows a lot of depth to characterisation with no signs of cliché or misogyny(considering what Tipping the Velvet is about there was a danger of that). You certainly do fully believe the relationships and chemistry between the characters(like with Nan and Kitty rehearsing together), and the gender politics explored here and in the book are truthful and subtle. The story is funny, poignant and thrilling in equal measure(particularly the final episode), all three episodes beautifully paced, slightly slow start but picks up very quickly. Rachael Stirling gives a stunningly powerful performance, that covers all sensualities and nuanced emotions of Nan's character and Keeley Hawes has never been more intoxicating than here. Anna Chancellor is imperiously scary while Jodhi May approaches Florence with real grace without falling into too-good-to-be-true category. In conclusion, fabulous and not one to ignore or forget. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I'm glad I read the Sarah Waters novel first, since I had my own pictures of the characters in my head at the time. The ones cast for this production, however, were not at all disappointing - in fact, after I got used to Rachael Stirling as Nan, I think Nina Gold did a damn fine job in the casting department. (Can Keeley Hawes be more delicious?!)

The BBC has done it again: this is a wonderful production of a very good book, and they have done it up in style. If you can get your hands on this (VHS, DVD) be sure to get the 181-minute version (the uncensored one.) It is a marvelous journey, albeit a bit rocky at times, that you won't regret taking.